Paraphrasing Hugh Macleod, we were all given a box of crayons in kindergarten and encouraged to explore our creativity, after which, and from that day forward, they gave us books on history, geography, algebra, sciences and the like, and encouraged us to prepare for life.  Those of us with dreams of one day becoming an artist spent those subsequent years of study just wondering when they would give the crayons back to us.

The majority of work you will view on this website are paintings that I completed en plein air, which means quite simply that they were painted on location, or in the literal translation, "in open air".

Artists such as Constable, Turner, Corot, and the French Impressionists were among the first to popularize this method of creating landscape paintings which generally requires the use of some style of collapsible easel or a small pochade box on which the painter supports the canvas.  This portability allows an artist to go just about anywhere they please when selecting their desired motif.

I complete most of my plein air paintings within the course of a 1 to 3 hour session...a necessity because of natural changes to the light over the course of that time period.  Colors and shadows are altered dramatically by changes in the direction and intensity of the light source.  Thus, quick decisions and quick painting become part of the painting process when working outside.

I live in the northeastern United States and paint year round, which from December through February can create additional challenges for a plein air artist to plan for and overcome.  The winter paintings you will find on this site were all painted on location in all kinds of weather conditions.  Snow, sub-freezing air temperatures and, at times, wind chills in the single digits simply require appropriate changes to painting gear and attire.

Thank you for visiting.....enjoy your stay.